in washington, dc, three builders are now designing mini houses in a vacant lot. the houses are more like boxes, averaging about 200 square feet. they believe these tiny homes are great for someone who wants to live simply, but they aren't the only ones with this philosophy. big cities, like here in san francisco and new york are experimenting as well. >> they are more about experience than they are material things. they like their space, but they like the street theater, the street, the cafes, those become our living rooms. >> so in san francisco -- actually, in dc, the developer is opening 100 compact apartments on the city's waterfront. he believes the housing market is being driven by a new generation. but, yeah, they are talking about doing this in san francisco as well. mini apartments. a whole new form of cozy. >> exactly, because the idea is people will then go outside on the streets. so if i was in a small, one of those little box apartments and i wanted to step out into my living room, the bay area, brian, what will i be facing? >> transition master here